Image © Adrian Williams 2015
| by Rafael Mantovani | October 19, 2015 |
the aliens
call all earthly creatures
by one name, that in their language means an airbag
(but in their planet
there is no air)
the aliens
find that things and things’ names are similar
but in their language
the names are the things themselves
the aliens
when they’re sad
split themselves in two
it would take too long for them to get here
but not if they’ve been long on their way
time is reversible for them
space is not
which means that once they’re here
they’ll no longer be able to go back
(but they’ll be able to never have come).
__________
Rafael Mantovani was born in São Paulo but now lives in Kreuzberg because here you can go to so many art things and gay things on foot. His book Cão was out in 2011 by ed. Hedra, and there’s a new one coming in 2016. He has published in Brazilian magazines and performed at some events in Berlin, including the Latinale (Lateinamerikanisches Poesiefestival), Queer Stories at Another Country, the Lyrik im Ausland series, the multilingual reading “meus pelos cresceram”, among others. He’s also on “The Arms Long Enough Project” with musician Alex Highet.
Adrian Williams is a Canadian artist working from Berlin, and one of the founding members of the Royal Art Lodge. See more: williamsadrian.com